The Journey
by T'Sura
Summary: Tie in to the Angels Trilogy a Plain girl from Nappanee decides that God is leading her toward higher education. WORK IN PROGRESS...


A young Amish girl decides that God is pointing her towards higher education.. These are loosely based on my own experiences of the _rumschpringe_, during which I attended high school through my senior year.

01

Katie Lapp sat beside her longtime childhood friend, who was attempting to calm her nerves as they made their way toward the school in his family's car. It was the first day of freshman year for both of them, and Katie was quite nervous. More so than Adam, as it appeared. He seemed both relaxed and calm, whereas she was wringing her hands in her apron.

"Katie, relax. School is school. Only difference between this and eighth grade is that this is bigger. Gonna be quite a bit bigger. And I don't know if there are any other Plain kids here." Since childhood, Adam Lupton had sat behind her in classes at the small town school which she attended until eighth grade. After a long and serious talk with her Dat, bishop, and preacher, it was decided that as long as she didn't do anything else against her teachings, she could attend the public high school. But, as her Dat reminded her, she was only there to learn.

"_Ach_, what if this was a bad idea. I feel quite sick right now." The last statement was truth; Katie had a case of serious butterflies, which were fast morphing into eagles.

Adam put a hand on her arm as if to tell her to stop worrying.

"Don't worry, Katie. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Just then, the car pulled up to the school. Katie and Adam grabbed all of their books and headed off to find their lockers, saying goodbye to Mrs. Lupton as she pulled out of the circular drive.

Fixing her white _kapp_ as she went, Katie followed Adam through the hallway. She was stunned. Not even at a wedding had she seen so many people of so many different origins. There were people of seemingly every race, skin tone, and religion. And, it seemed, they were all giving her the same look of incredulity. She ducked her head, blushing, and followed Adam.

"Hey, Katie, look. They gave us lockers next to each other. I bet my mother requested that." Adam grinned his crazy grin at Katie, who smiled weakly back.

"I'm quite glad. But I must say, even for the first day at high school, I'm feeling more than a little _grenklich_, sick."

Adam looked at her, a little worriedly. He replied, "I'm sure it's just first-day nerves. They'll wear off by the time you get to first period."

After organizing her books and just as many binders, she took out her schedule. Adam took his out and they compared. Katie's stomach dropped and so did her mouth.

"Wait, how can that be? We have different classes." She moaned. "I have first English and you have first Algebra." Katie's hand flew to her _kapp_ as she said a short prayer.

Adam, sensing her fear, offered to walk her to her class. Katie managed a small smile and accepted, so long as he agreed that he would not be late to his because of her.

The room on her list of classes said B253, so Adam quickly asked an upperclassman where exactly the B building was. Pointing to two buildings off in the distance, the upperclassman explained that the left building was the A building and the right building was the B building. Taking a look at each of their schedules, the boy explained how to get to each class and whether the teacher was a boy or girl. After thanking the boy and heading on their way, Katie leaned close to Adam and said, "They have boy teachers? Who ever heard of a boy teacher?"

Adam, knowing well since his brother attended the school before him, said, "It's not like Mountain View Amish School where the teachers are Plain. It's a Plain thing to have just women teachers because all the men are in the fields or the shops working. Here, men can do whatever they like without worrying about the approval of a bishop."

Katie's butterflies seemed to stir at this. She admitted to Adam that she would feel a bit awkward with a man teacher. He told her that unfortunately, there were not female and male teachers for each subject. She'd just have to get used to this.

As they went up the stairs to the second level of the B building, Katie paused at the sight of two black doors.

"What in_ Himmel_ is-" Katie began, but Adam cut her off mid-sentence.

"An elevator. It's run on electricity and it carries students who either can't get to, or are too lazy to walk up to, the second and third floors."

Adam explained that the elevator was raised by dropping a heavy weight on the right of the lift and then pulled Katie past the throng of people vying for places inside. They made it to the classsroom and to the touch, the handle of the door was locked. Katie looked at Adam.

He gave her a concerned look. "I'm sure the teacher will come soon. It's just about time for the bell to ring."

Katie started to say "What bell?" when she was cut off by high pitched mechanical clanging. Surprised, she jumped and gave a little shriek, dropping her books and putting her hands over her _kapp_-covered ears. Adam had to laugh, so comical was the situation.

"Better get used to that bell, Katie. It rings every 48 minutes around here, except for lunch, then it's in 49." He helped her pick up her books and then said his farewell, having to travel through the sea of students over to the A building for Algebra I with Mrs. Konya. Glancing at her schedule, she saw that her teacher's name was Bourse, remembered that the upperclassman who showed them where the building was told her that the teacher was a woman. Despite that, her butterflies did not go away.

Standing next to the B253 door, Katie felt utterly alone. She wished she had brought along one of her cloth bags so that she could put her books into it, noticing all the other students had packs which they used for that purpose. She had a small satchel in her locker, but felt that she might be late if she tried to run back for it. As it was, she had two pencils in her apron pocket, but wasn't sure exactly how much writing would be necessary. Interrupting her thoughts, the teacher arrived and all the students filed into the classroom, Katie allowing them to go first. She found a seat on the right side of the room in the second row out of six. The boy sitting next to her eyed her up and said, "Why are you wearing that little cap?"

Katie's voice seemed stuck in her throat. She managed, "I wear my _kapp_ because it gives God glory." before the teacher asked them all to be quiet so that she could begin. She sensed that the boy had more on his mind, but didn't give him the chance to ask. She remembered that she and Adam hadn't had time to coordinate where they would meet for lunch, let alone eat it. She relaxed, knowing that Adam would probably wait for her at her locker.

The teacher began an outline of what they would be learning during the year; how to write essays, proper grammar, some vocabulary lessons each week, and that they would have to read four books per semester, or two per quarter. Silently, Katie wondered if books in Pennsylvania Dutch or German, her first and foremost languages, would count. Somehow she didn't think so, seeing as this was English and all.

Looking around, she realized that she was the only Plain student in attendance. Not even a Mennonite graced the class. She realized that he was getting curious looks from both the teacher and students. She felt physically ill, never having been alone with so many Englischers before. She kept her head down and waited for the teacher to take roll.

As the long list of names began, she noticed that some of the students were wearing earrings. Pressing her left hand to her ear under the _kapp_, she wondered if it would hurt to wear them. She decided that it would and left it at that.

"Katie Lapp?"

Kaite raised her hand. "Here." But she had said it so quietly that the teacher had not heard. The boy next to her said to the teacher, "She said here."

The teacher eyed her _kapp_ and said, "Miss Lapp, you do know that hats are not allowed in class, don't you?"

Katie's heart stopped. The counselor, obviously knowing she was Amish, had said nothing about the white organdy prayer covering that was ever so necessary. The teacher and students were looking at her curiously.

She raised her voice a little louder than she had when saying that she was present.

"The counselor said that it was all right. It's not a hat though, it's a prayer _kapp_."

The teacher looked suspicious. And what is its purpose, Miss Lapp?"

Katie was shocked. Though she knew that the Englischers didn't observe the tradition and commandment of the Lord as reading 1 Corinthians 11, she had no idea that they didn't even know the meaning behind it. Katie decided to take a deep breath and let the Lord speak through her.

"First Corinthians Eleven says that a woman ought to cover her head so that she can give glory to God and the angels without dishonoring her head. If she didn't wear it, the Bible says she should shave her head, and since everyone knows what a disgrace it is for a woman to have no hair, she ought to cover her head. The _kapp_ does precisely that, while still being religiously proper. It is not like a baseball cap at all. And I do not consider it a worldly 'hat'. I certainly could not take it off, for then I could not pray!" Katie's stomach felt like the butter probably did when it was being churned at home.

A girl in the back row spoke up angrily. "You think it's a disgrace for girls to have their heads shaved? Are you saying that I'm a disgrace?" The girl's head was indeed shaved, and she sported several visible tattoos on her arms and neck. She pointed at her head with one hand.

Katie didn't know what to say so she blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "The Bible says-" but the girl cut her off.

"I don't give a damn what your book says. I don't have to sit here while you insult me. This is frickin' ridiculous!" She slammed her fist down on the desk.

Katie didn't know what to say in return but to beg the teacher, "Please, ma'am. Don't make me take off my _kapp_! 'Tis all for naught without it. " She instinctively put her hands over her _kapp_ when she heard the door open.

The counselor kindly stepped in. "Mrs. Bourse, students. I'd like you to know that Katie Lapp here is of the Anabaptist origin, basically…she's Amish. She's here to learn, not to disrupt. Mrs. Bourse, it is against their religion to take off their prayer coverings. Since it is in no way distancing her from you, I'd appreciate it, and I know she would, if you'd please ignore the rule where it the head covering is concerned.".

Katie, physically shaking, was about to burst into tears. This was in no way the day she had envisioned with her sister last night in front of the wood burning stove. True, she had envisioned a few other Plain students, but it shouldn't be this bad, should it?

The counselor, Mrs. Maw, put a hand on Katie's shoulder. "Please continue, Mrs. Bourse. That is all." With that she walked out of the classroom.

Katie was now the subject of all eyes. The boy next to her whispered, "I'm sorry for bugging you about your prayer covering. I should have left it alone until you wanted to bring it up. I probably just ruined your day, along with Miss Baldie over there." He nodded in the direction of the bald-by-choice teen in the back of the room with a lopsided smile similar to that of her brothers when they were trying to cheer her up. "My name is Andrew. Andrew Eck. Nice to meet you, Katie Lapp."

He offered his hand in greeting, and with a small smile, Katie took it and shook it once. They both turned back to facing front, smiles still on both their faces.

Once the bell rang, it was time for a small break, Katie learned. Mrs. Bourse went over their daily schedules. Periods 1, 2, 3, 4 on Mondays and Fridays, Period 5, 6, 7 on Tuesdays and Fridays, and a combined schedule of both on Wednesdays, along with an assembly or chapel service which was optional. Since Katie didn't feel comfortable attending services of other faiths quite yet, she decided to opt out of both and go for an early lunch with the time came.

At 9:03, the bell rang, and students flooded out of the classrooms and into the halls. Gathering up her books, Katie and Andrew made their way out.

"Want to take the elevator down? It's nice and safe, I promise. I took it up here this morning." Andrew led her to the doors, pressed the down button and waited. They only had to wait a few seconds. The doors opened with a small ding from inside and Andrew pulled her in. Unbeknownst to them, Joline Brea, the tattooed teen from English class, followed them right in, bidding others to stay back and wait for the next car to come.

Andrew pressed the button for floor one. Katie was pressed up against the wall, breathing hard. She was clutching the rail, peering out of the transparent windows at the students below and above on the walkways. It made her feel nauseous.

"Katie? Why are you in the corner? Are you okay?"

"Press the go down button! This view is making me feel ever so _grenklich_. At least in the _Ecke_ I don't feel as _schlecht_ as I would out there, _once't_." Her fear made her unable to speak proper English as she'd been taught in grade school. She began lapsing into Dietsch.

Just then she noticed the girl from English. She wanted to melt into the floor.

"Having issues with the technology here? Better go home before they shun you."

Katie's stomach did a flip. "How do you know about _die_ _Meidung_?" she whispered the words, knowing that her voice would fail her should she try to speak outright.

Joline's voice was menacing. "Oh, everyone knows about it. That's why we are all wondering why you are here. Aren't you afraid of the wrath of God? If you stay here, you'll go to-"

Katie covered her ears and practically ran out of the elevator, promising herself that she'd never enter another elevator while she was attending high school. She was so sick of everything and angry at herself for even thinking that God was leading her in this worldly direction that she left Andrew in front of the elevator, shouting after her. She would find Adam, tell him that she was withdrawing and leave before any more classes.


End file.
